5 Musings on the 2020 Wedding Year | Cheyenne Wedding Photographers
If you’re anything like me, I’m tired of the jargon descriptors that get thrown around about this past year, so I am going to skip all of those. Being Cheyenne wedding photographers this year was interesting, to say the least.
But instead of reflecting on how different this year was, I’d like to reflect on what remains. So much has changed, but there are some things I am certain will never, ever go away. Weddings remind me of that.
I captured twelve weddings that actually happened in 2020. Many of those events were much smaller than the couple originally planned; some couples opted for a small ceremony this year and a bigger celebration next year. Two weddings were cancelled completely. Four were moved to the summer or fall of 2021.
That being said, the summer of 2021 is nearly booked, in large part due to 2020 postponements. If you are still in need of wedding photographers for your wedding in Cheyenne, Laramie, or Fort Collins, we still have a couple July dates left. Otherwise, we are starting to book weddings in 2022 throughout Wyoming and Colorado.
Admittedly, looking back at this past year makes me feel exhausted. There was so much happening so quickly, it was like trying to grasp tiny little pieces of what we once knew as they blew away in the Cheyenne wind. I have never gotten so deep into legal contract language as I have this year when we had to shift dates for many of our couples. It was stressful for all of us.
But in large part, when I think back on the weddings we photographed, not a whole lot changed for us. Let me tell you what didn’t change for these Wyoming wedding photographers in 2020.
5. Simplicity still rules.
Our style is so moment focused. For this reason, smaller weddings, in many ways, felt more powerful when photographed from our documentary approach. We have watched so many brides throughout the years get concerned over things that just don’t matter….table decorations, party favors, seating charts. We have always advocated for our couples to stay focused on what really matters when the day is over — connection. If the COVID-19 pandemic has brought anything into laser focus, it’s this: the connection we have with other humans is vital to our happiness and survival. It’s nothing new, but many of us, myself included, might have needed reminded of that.
As wedding photographers, we are constantly striving to show connection in our photos. The connection between a couple and their families and friends is something that will always be the most important aspect of a wedding day I capture. The pandemic forced us all to distill our days down to the basics, and weddings were no exception. In many ways, simplifying the details of wedding days made the moments more readily available to capture.
4. Joy cannot be restricted.
I might be bold enough to say that there was more joy this year than ever before. The people who were able to be present with our couples were SO happy and grateful to celebrate with them.
3. Moments are still paramount.
This will never change for me, and my hope is that the couples who come to me to photograph their weddings will always feel this way. No matter what is happening in the world, there are always stories of love between people.
2. Our couples are adaptable.
I’ve watched many of our couples ride rollercoasters of hope, disappointment, frustration and confusion this year. We’ve helped them work through new plans, created postponement announcements for them and helped them find new dates in a (hopefully) better year. They have rolled with restrictions, changes and some have even had to plan four different wedding scenarios. Many live-streamed their ceremonies. They have all done it with incredible grace. I’m totally impressed by them.
1. The human spirit will always shine brighter than any illness, setback or challenge.
It’s been a year, friends. We are stronger for it. Even when it felt like things were breaking down, I’m convinced we were finding all the broken places and rebuilding them in better ways as we recovered and moved forward.
I cannot thank our couples enough for the grace, flexibility and love they’ve shown us this year. One couple whose wedding got postponed to next fall emailed to ask me about dates we had available. As we worked to find dates that would work, she told me, “Oh, we’d change our venue before we’d have our wedding day without you and Liz.” That one comment made all of the changes and stress worthwhile this year.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your moments. We are forever grateful to you all.